ERNAKULAM, ARCHDIOCESE OF. – Established for the Syro-Malabars as a metropolitan see on 21 December 1923, replacing an apostolic vicariate that had existed since 29 July 1896. The archdiocese extends its jurisdiction over the territories of the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin, of which E. is the capital: all forming part of Hindustan.
The archdiocese of E., which depends on the S. Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has 246,547 faithful, distributed among 128 parishes, and has within its territory 1 diocesan seminary, 7 houses of men religious, and 14 of women religious.
BIBL.: S. Congregazione Orientale, Statistiche e cenni storici sulle gerarchie e sui fedeli di rito orientale, Città del Vaticano 1932, p. 234; Servizio informazioni delle Chiese orientali, 15 May 1947; Annuaire Pontificio 1949. Mariano Balli
ERNAKULAM, ARCHDIOCESE OF: V. VERAPOLY, ARCIDIOCESI di.